HAVANA, July 28 (PRENSA LATINA) — Giganterias, a group of young Cubans who liven up the streets of the Cuban capital’s Historic Center every day, must be in a festive mood when World Stilt Walking Day is celebrated.
With their infectious music, dances, and colorful costumes, these stilt walkers are a comprehensive part of Old Havana’s international appeal, which, along with its Fortification System, is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Walking high on a pair of stilts is a unique and fun experience. It’s a rare skill that transcends circus shows and has multiple uses in everyday life. Hence, a day was selected, in this case July 27, to celebrate their World Day.
Stilts have been used for thousands of years, but it’s difficult to know exactly when they were introduced to Cuba, recalls Opus Habana magazine. Given the importance they acquired during the Three Kings’ Day celebrations (in early January), there is evidence that they were already in use in Havana in the mid-19th century.
However, there is no reason to rule out the possibility that they were used prior to these Afro-Cuban celebrations, the exact date of which is unknown, but it would be logical to assume that they began after the founding of the first “national” council in 1598, the publication expands.
The truth is that stilts are still part of the entertainment of children and young people in Cuba today, where they are used in speed races and are used to attract audiences by theater groups such as Giganterias and the boys and girls of La Colmenita. — NNN-PRENSA LATINA
